The Spring Valse
by Grumblebump
Summary: A spell is cast over Hogwarts in time for a Spring Ball, and two intruders.
1. Default Chapter

Muo moved into the clearing, gazing up at the large castle walls as the heavy rain beat down upon his hooded cloak. The castle was known to the wizarding world as Hogwarts, school for the adept in the art of bewitchment. This school, he thought, was his ticket in. He started to sink into a fantasy of riches and greatness, picturing his tiny, grey head capped with a shining crown, wearing the finest robes in the land when a loud 'snap!' made him come to his senses.  
  
He whirled around in the darkness, seeing a large man, or at least half of a man standing directly behind him. The man's horned head rested on his broad upper torso, which gave way to a pair of goat-like legs, covered in rough, brown fur. A satyr, he knew. The large creature moved towards the little man revealing his moustached face and long, pointed goatee.  
  
'Piddel, you fool!' Muo screeched, hopping off the tree stump he was standing on. He landed with a thud and walked to face the large satyr, barely reaching up past it's knees. 'Be quiet! You're going to get us caught!' he scolded.  
  
'Sorry..' Piddel said weakly, bowing his head as if he had commited a terrible travesty.  
  
'Yes, you had better be! If it weren't for my... well, you'd be out on your bottom faster than you could say "Firewhisky" if I didn't need your bulk for this task, you imbecile!' Muo yelled, spinning angrily, and in the process, tripping over Piddel's large foot. The little man landed on the sopping wet ground with a loud splash, drenching the satyr with a small wave of mud and water.  
  
The satyr heard a gurgling noise, and figured he ought to pull the little man from the puddle. He reached down and grabbed Muo by the head, lifting him easily in the air. Muo hung there, glaring ferociously at the satyr, silently promising to curse all of the large goat-man's relatives, even the ones that weren't alive. 'Put me down!' he screamed, flailing his arms wildly.  
  
Piddel dropped the little man straight down, and into the puddle again. Muo leapt up, large veins breaking on the side of his head with rage. 'You...' he started, quivering with rage, but stopped mid-insult. 'There's no time! We only have tommorrow night to finish the plans, if were to succeed in taking the castle!' he said finally.  
  
'As soon as the sleep finishes, the spell will take hold, and I'll be on the teacher's table with my servants within a week!' Muo screeched excitedly, almost tipping himself into the puddle again.  
  
'Just you wait, Piddel, just you wait...' the little man said quietly, rubbing his grubby little hands over one another and staring yet again at the castle walls.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The Great Hall fluttered quietly as the students sat down to eat their breakfast. The school had been hit by a series of heavy rainstorms the entire week, and most of the students had spent the nights trying to ignore the rain pelting down on the hard stone walls of the castle, becoming tired and sleepy during the days. This morning, the bewitched ceiling took on a dewy gold color, as if the sun was peeking lazily through the thin rainclouds.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, chatting idly about their next classes, the nearest due dates ('What? Binns wants how many rolls of parchment!?), and the first day without rain in over a week. In Harry's four years at Hogwarts, he had never seen a downpour like the past week's. He figured Hagrid's cabin must have floated halfway into the Forbidden Forest by now, and wondered if he would go and find his half- giant friend after his first set of classes. No sooner had Harry finished his sleepy thoughts, Hagrid had appeared through the door behind the teacher's table. He sat down in his seat and tucked his large, muddy boots under the table, giving Harry a wink.  
  
The whole castle seemed to be under a spell the past week, seeming lazy and unconcerned. Inside, protected from the rain, the students went about their daily activities at a slower pace then usual, and when they were not working, students could often be found snoozing contentedly on pouffy armchairs in the common rooms. Even Harry's Quidditch practices had been cancelled due to the storms, and he was starting to wear down under the blanket of calm placed over the castle.  
  
This morning, the teachers talked quietly between themselves, and, Harry noticed, kept casting excited glances at Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall was leaning to her side, elbowing Dumbledore playfully, and Professor Flitwick was grinning ear to ear.  
  
'What do you think they're on about?' asked Ron, motioning towards the teachers.  
  
'I'm not certain,' replied Harry.  
  
'Maybe they're thinking of replacing the desks with beds,' Rone offered, 'seeing as how half the students are falling asleep during classes.'  
  
Harry had to agree with Ron, well, for the most part. Just yesterday, Neville Longbottom had fallen asleep in Snape's potions class, slumping headfirst into his Hair Growth mixture. He had spent more than three hours shaving off his facial hair, which had extended up to his eyes and into his nose.  
  
Dumbledore finally nodded, clearing his throat and calling the students' attention by chiming his spoon off of his goblet.  
  
'As you all may know,' he began, 'the castle has been at the centre of a very nasty storm this past week, and today has been the first rain-free day for quite some time. The teachers and I have been hoping the rain would die off as it has, for it is a sure sign of great things to come.'  
  
'I wonder what he means?' asked Hermione.  
  
'Once, every twenty years, a rather splendid event takes place.' Dumbledore went on. 'The day after a vicious storm is said to posess strange powers. On that day, chemistry is altered, minds become calmed, and the senses are felt more keenly than any other time of the year.' he elaborated. 'This day is called the Spring Valse, and this day has now come upon us, and we will be celebrating the occasion with a small dance, to be attended by third years and above,' a loud groan escaped the younger students, 'tonight.' he finished.  
  
'Tonight!?' shrieked Pavarti Patil, a Gryffindor fourth year, 'but I haven't anything to wear!'  
  
'Surely we'll be given more time?' cried Lavender Brown, another Gryffindor fourth year.  
  
'Clam yourselves, Miss Patil and Miss Brown,' chuckled Dumbledore, 'to accomodate the ball tonight, classes will be cancelled for today.' he explained. 'And if any student wishes to bring a partner to the ball tonight, they may.' he finished.  
  
A murmur spread through the Great Hall as students talked excitedly about the night's events, the girls at the tables seeming rather giggly.  
  
'Well, that leaves me three hours to finish my homework.' said Hermione promptly.  
  
'Homework? For heaven's sake, Hermione, take a day off!' Ron said, exaspertated.  
  
Hermione looked as if she'd just been insulted. 'I have work to do,' she told him. 'See you at lunch.'  
  
She stalked out of the Great Hall as Ron sat and shook his head, 'Not right in the head, that one.' he said, bewildered.  
  
Harry sat silently, watching Hermione walk out of the Great Hall, thinking deeply about the events to come.  
  
* * * *  
  
Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room some time later. He had been deep in thought ever since Dumbledore's announcement at breakfast. His thoughts were heavy, as if a great weight had been placed upon his head, and Harry felt the urge to lie down.  
  
Seeing no one in the common room, Harry curled up on a large armchair near the fire. He sat looking into the dancing, orange flames. The flames took on an almost hypnotic pattern, the tongues licking in and out around each other, sending brilliant jets of yellow into the air above them. Harry wondered if the air of the Spring Valse carried any truth, if people's actions did indeed, change in some way. Harry lay with someone on his mind. That someone had been a bother, not in an annoying way, but in another Harry could not quite put his finger on. Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep in front of the blazing hearth. The waves of heat rolled over him like a blanket, and as he lay there contentedly in front of the fire, he slipped into a vivid dream.  
  
Harry looked around. He was still in the common room, but there was another person standing against the wall opposite to him. She was standing perfectly straight, her hands placed in one another in front of her stomach. Harry couldn't see her face, but knew from her figure that she was indeed female. She was wearing something that looked like a silk dress, which caught the fire in it's reflection, looking a brilliant shade of red and gold. The dress hung on her every curve, and, as Harry noticed, seemed to accentuate her formidable body. A haze hung around her head, clouding Harry's vision and preventing him from identifying her.  
  
The girl turned around, and Harry seemed to become warmer. He still couldn't see her face, but her bushy hair hung noticeably around her shoulders. Harry flailed his arms in an attempt to scatter the heavy cloak of haze. As he was swinging wildly, the girl put her hands on his, and he stopped, feeling unusually calm. The only time Harry had ever felt this way was when he was gazing at Cho Chang, the girl who played seeker in Ravenclaw house. He had felt like he was in love with Cho, but now, standing in front of this mystery girl, he was starting to think otherwise.  
  
Harry started to say something, but the girl put a finger to his lips. She leaned towards him, whispering something into his ear that he couldn't make out, then placed her lips tenderly against his, and the both of them became absorbed in a long kiss. Harry felt relaxed, but excited at the same time. He put his hand gently around the back of the girl's head, knowing this was entirely impossible, but hardly caring. The two stood, kissing for longer than Harry had thought possible, not caring who or what walked in on them. In Harry's mind, it was just him and this mystery girl.  
  
He was about to place his hand on the girl's hip, when he heard the girl issue a large 'croak!'  
  
Harry awoke with a start, and looked right at Trevor, a toad belonging to Neville Longbottom, who had taken it upon himself to sit on Harry's face. Harry sat upright, wiping slime off his lips, as Trevor hopped off and up the staircase.  
  
'Well, at least it wasn't Crookshanks,' said Harry aloud, knowing fully if he had tried to kiss the tempermental cat in his sleep, he would have ended up in the hospital for the rest of term. 


	2. Petrified

Muo and Piddel looked up at the stone wall yet again, this time from a much closer position. The two had climbed a tree growing against the stone of the castle. He wasn't worried about getting caught, as he had provided the two with a shield of invisiblity. All they need to do now was scale the wall, and they would be inside.  
  
Muo moved to his left, almost pitching himself off the thick branch. 'Piddel...' he said menacingly, almost boiling over with rage.  
  
'Oh, yes sir.' Piddel said quickly, shifting so Muo could now use his entire chest and legs as a foot softener, as Muo claimed he couldn't perform spells while his feet scraped off the rough bark.  
  
The satyr winced as Muo stomped around near his abdomen, cupping his hands protectively to avoid a serious injury. 'Now,' the little man said, raising his wand. 'Wingardium Leviosa!'  
  
The two floated up the side of the wall slowly, reaching a window near the top. Muo climbed inside and lowered his wand. He heard a short scream and spun around to the sound of Piddel hanging off of the ledge. 'Oh, all right.' the little man said after some time. He swished his wand and the satyr floated into the room, making a loud thump.  
  
'Be quiet!' Muo whispered harsly, reappearing. 'and take off that invisibility! I feel like I'm talking to myself!.  
  
They moved into the room, both visible now, and looked around. 'Ahh yes,' Muo said. 'We must be in a dormitory. The dungeons shouldn't be far.'  
  
As they were about to move for the door, it flew open and a boy stood there, wand outstretched.  
  
'Who are you two?' he asked, a small note of fear sounding in his voice at the sight of the large, horned man.  
  
'Ahh, a student.' Muo said, eyeing the boy in the doorway.  
  
The boy looked down, seeing a wretched, grey little man with large ears, and sharp, poited little fangs. His entire face seemed to be almost batlike, with small, beady eyes and an short, pointed nose. The little man was draped in a dark brown robe, which was much too big for him.  
  
'Finnigan, isn't it?' the little man said darkly, closing is eyes.  
  
'How...how do you know my name?' the boy asked, his wand now quivering.  
  
The little man just chuckled, drawing a short, thin wand from behind his back. He pointed the wand at the student. 'Because, my boy, I need you.' he said with an evil grin.  
  
'What...' the boy started to say, but a flash of blue light blinded him, and everything went black.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry sat in the common room some time later, thinking hard about his dream. He could remember all the details perfectly, except the mystery girls' face. He strained, trying to recall any detail about it, but failed. The reason the girl had bothered him so much was that she was not Cho Chang, the girl Harry had been taken with for the past four years. Many times had he had felt that Cho would be the girl for him, but now it seemed different, as if someone else was standing in front of Cho in Harry's mind, but he couldn't put his finger on who it was.  
  
He didn't have long to think about it, however, when Ron came bursting in through the common room door.  
  
'Harry! Why are you just...sitting around!?' he asked excitedly. 'We have the day off, and today was double potions!' Ron said enthusiastically.  
  
Double potions was always a nightmare for Harry and Ron. Come to think about it, double potions was a nightmare for anybody. The fact that they has escaped a full hour and a half of the classes seemed to ease Harry's mind for the time being, and he left the Gryffindor common room with Ron.  
  
'What do you think all this "valse" buisness is about, anyway?' asked Ron. 'I've heard Mum talking about it before, it's in one of her Sorrowful Sorcerer editons,' he told Harry. 'Not that I read them,' he added hastily, going pink around the ears.  
  
'I don't know,' Harry replied, feeling frustrated at his ignorance to the wizarding world.  
  
'It's supposed to be some kind of magical night, or something. People are supposed to act...well, not right.' Ron said worriedly.  
  
'Well, if it's supposed to be a problem, we could ask. Hagrid would have been here more than twenty years ago, let's go ask him.' Harry suggested. 'And we could find out who he's taking.' he added with a wink, starting for the main door. The two ran down the hallway and out to the main entrance heading for Hagrid's hut. When they reached the front steps, Harry noticed a figure moving towards them. The person was wearing students clothing, but was covered in mud from head to foot.  
  
As the student approached Harry saw that it was Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor who shared the same room as Ron and Harry. He seemed fine, apart from the fact that he was covered from head to foot in mud, and had a strange, glazed look over his eyes. Ron looked at Dean, 'Are you alright?' he asked him.  
  
Dean shifted his zombie-like gaze from a spot above Ron's head to meet his eyes. 'Fine, slip..' he mutered, and walked into the front door of the castle, dragging his feet with every step.  
  
'What do you suppose that was all about?' asked Ron, bewildered. 'I don't know.' Harry replied. 'Let's get to Hagrid.'  
  
The two ran the rest of the way to Hargrid's hut, knocking loudly on the door. Hagrid opened the large wooden door, smiling as he looked down at the two. ' 'Bout time yeh come ter see me!' he said as he let them in. 'Been nearly drowned the past few days,' Hargrid told them, sitting down. 'Mind, the rain wasn't as bad as the leaky ceilin', drippin' all night.'  
  
'Hagrid,' Harry started. 'What do you know about the Spring Valse?'  
  
Hagrid looked down at the two, eyeing them suspiciously. 'What do you two want teh know 'bout that fer?' he asked them. 'Just curious.' Ron replied.  
  
'Well, in that case,' Hagrid said, 'Wouldn't hurt teh tell yeh...The Valse is a strange time, it is. No one's sure how teh explain it, but they know that strange things start happenin'...people get all, strange.'  
  
'What do you mean, strange, Hagrid?' asked Harry.  
  
'They do things they wouldn't normally be doin', and it happened right 'ere, a long time back, 'round forty years ago.' Hagrid told them, thinking deeply.  
  
'What happened?' asked Ron.  
  
'Well, people started actin' all funny, and some boy and girl were caught in the bathrooms, well..yeh know..' Hagrid said, looking embarassed.  
  
The boys nodded.  
  
'The two of 'em got real mad at the student that caught 'em, and ended up gettin' in a great big fight. One of the students got, changed, he did. Tried some magic on the other student, but 'cause of the funny air durin' that time, it backfired. No one saw the lad again, just vanished. The prefect that caught 'em was hit too, got scared out of his wits, he did...he never got put right, either. S'pose they're still alive, but I don't know fer certain... Strange thing is, I knew the both of 'em, and they were as good as gold...' he said.  
  
'Now, every twenty years, somethin' odd seems teh happen.' Hagrid finished. 'Jus' strange, that's all.'  
  
The two left Hagrid's cabin talking about what Hagrid had said. 'But how does that have anything to do with Dean?' asked Ron.  
  
'I don't know, but I know somebody that would help.' he said.  
  
'Hermione' they both said at once.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As the boys walked back to the school, they talked quiely about what Hagrid had said, wondering about the 'strange air' he was talking about, and who the unlucky prefect was.  
  
'Maybe the Valse isn't going to be any trouble this year,' Ron said hopefully.  
  
'Unless Dean looks like he's just drunk four tankards of Butterbeer all of the time, I'd say something odd will happen just like it did fourty years ago,' Harry said ominously.  
  
The two made their way up to the library and moved to where Hermione sat with her books spread out covering the entire tabletop. She had been in the library all morning, and looked up at the two as thay sat down next to her.  
  
'Just finished a hard spell of homework, did you?,' she said dryly.  
  
'You bet! Eight rolls of parchement just written between the two of us.' Ron said with a grin.  
  
Hermione eyed them narrowly. 'I've just finished my fourth roll for Professor Flitwick's paper on the Amplemento charm.' she told them. 'You do know it's due tomorrow?  
  
Ron and Harry looked at each other. 'Yeah.' they lied.  
  
'We just came from Hagrid's.' Ron said. 'He was talking about the Spring Valse.' 'Oh? What did he say?' Hermione asked.  
  
They leaned forward and started to tell her about the incident. Harry noticed a faint smell of strawberry coming from her hair, which smelled strangely familiar, but he shook it off as Ron finished.  
  
'So we were trying to figure out what might be wrong with Dean.' Ron finished.  
  
'That is odd.' Hermione said, thinking. 'Lavender Brown has been acting odd, too.' she told them. 'She rarely comes to the library, but she's been standing in the row behind me for the past hour. I just figured she was looking up some complex beauty charm or something.'  
  
Harry looked over, and sure enough, Lavender was staring blankly at the wall of books in front of her.  
  
'Odd,' said Ron. 'She usually never shuts up, that one.'  
  
'Ron, it isn't funny!' Hermione scolded.  
  
'What do you think it is?' Harry asked her.  
  
'I'm not sure.' she said. 'The Valse is supposed to affect the minds of people, who are...' she trailed off.  
  
'Who're what?' Ron asked impatiently.  
  
'Who are in love.' she said, blushing.  
  
'Dean Thomas?' said Ron, doubtfully. 'And Lavender likes a different guy every week.'  
  
'Well, it could happen to anyone!' Hermione said, blushing even more.  
  
'But who...or what is doing it? Harry asked her.  
  
The three of them sat in silence, unable to think of any answers to the questions.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Some time later in the Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat talking quietly about the day's events. Dean and Lavender had both come to dinner, but they were acting strangely, not talking why they ablsent mindedly poked at their food. Two seat sat their table were empty, which George Weasley had considerately stretched out across, snoozing quietly. The teachers seemed to be less enthusiastic as they had been this morning but they were, none the less, happy. After some time, the three friends were about to get up to return to their common room when Neville Longbottom came rushing in, red in the face and yelling.  
  
'Harry, Ron! Come quick, somethings happened!'  
  
Harry and Ron bolted after him, going straight to their dormitories. They came in and saw that the room looked entirely normal. Seamus Finnigan was lying on his bed, asleep. 'Neville! Why did you rush us up here?' Ron asked him.  
  
'Look at Seamus!' Neville said, pointing. He was still red-faced and wheezing.  
  
Ron moved over to Seamus, and prodded him. 'Seamus! Wake up, Neville seems to think sleep has gotten the worst of you!'  
  
'Seamus?' he said, sounding a little more worried.  
  
Harry walked over, and the both of them rolled Seamus onto his side. They gasped.  
  
'He's...petrified.' Harry said. 


	3. Laundry Service

Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the next hour in the library, researching the Spring Valse exstensively. Harry and Ron found next to nothing, but soon enough Hermione had stalked up to their table.  
  
'Of course!' said said triumphantly, slamming a large book down on the table. 'I was looking for the Valse as a spell, but it's not a spell, it's a magical effect.' she said, as if that clarified things.  
  
Harry and Ron stared at her blankly. Hermione looked dissapointed. 'Look at this,' she said, pointing to the open book.  
  
'The Astral Plain is aligned.' she told them.  
  
When their stares remained empty, she threw her hands in the air. 'Didn't you two pay attention at all in muggle classes?' she asked them, frustrated.  
  
'I never went to muggle classes!' Ron said loudly.  
  
'The Spring Equinox in the muggle world is when the globe is tilted at a certain angle...' she stopped looking at Ron's bewildered expression. 'In anycase, in the magical world things happen. Magic goes wrong, and people who are, well, in love, get influenced by spells shooting this way and that, especially at Hogwarts.' she told them.  
  
'What do you mean, influenced?' asked Harry.  
  
'Well, with all the spells and enchantments going around the school, people get affected more easily during the Valse. All of the students have seemed odd this past week because of the amount of magic floating around.' she said.  
  
'But surely everyone in the school isn't in love' Ron said doubtfully.  
  
'No, but attraction and small crushes would do it, and everybody has one of those.' she said, looking at the floor.  
  
'But what about Dean, and Seamus?' asked Ron.  
  
'Maybe they were in...' she started, trailing off.  
  
'Seamus?' Ron snorted.  
  
'Well, I'll bet anything that someone is trying to get into the castle while the Valse has it caught off guard.' she said, ignoring him.  
  
'But how?' asked Harry.  
  
'Well,' Hermione started, thinking deeply. 'If a simple sleep spell was cast during the Valse, it might put an entire room to sleep for days. I'm guessing someone is casting one over the entire school, and that's why students have been so tired the past week.'  
  
'And about Dean and Lavender?' Harry asked, strating to understand.  
  
'Well,' she said, at a loss. 'I've heard of a zombie curse, where the target can lose all pattern of thought, and exists solely for the caster's bidding.' she said ominously.  
  
Ron and Harry looked at each other.  
  
'But I don't think that's the case here,' she added quickly. 'Usually spells of that size require something that belongs to the victim.'  
  
'So if someone was casting a spell over the entire school, how would they get something that belonged to all the students in one room to do the casting? It's not like there's some random giant cauldron lying about to stew bits of Hogwart's students in.' Ron said skeptically.  
  
'Yes there is,' Harry said, 'the laundry.'  
  
* * * * *  
  
Ron peeked his red head down the long, dark tunnel, and wondered if he could name off the entire Ravenclaw Quidditch team before hitting the bottom. 'I can't even see the bottom.' he gulped, withdrawing his head quickly.  
  
The three had made their way down to the dungeon, where they came into a dismally dank room with a large, dark opening which sat in the middle of the back wall. The room was lit only by a lantern hanging from the ceiling, emitting an eerie green glow. The room had a lingering odor of mouldy...well, Harry didn't want to think about it. Oddly enough, as the three crowded around the dark chute Harry could still smell Hermione's strawberry sweet hair.  
  
'It's a long way down,' Hermione said nervously, peering down the hole.  
  
'Well, would you rather go back and end up looking like Dean and Seamus?' Ron asked her, looking like he silently hoped she'd say yes.  
  
'Ron's right, Hermione. We have to go down.' Harry said, still looking down the tunnel.  
  
'Well, you first then, Harry.' Ron said brightly, 'if we do meet anything down there you can scare them off first, right?'  
  
Harry looked at him seriously.  
  
'Okay, it's called a joke.' Ron mumbled.  
  
Harry climbed onto the ledge, feeling the cold stone under his hands. He swung his feet out over the edge, and held his breath. He let himself drop.  
  
Harry felt a blast of air whip by him as he pitched down into the blackness. The spot of light at the top of the chute grew smaller and smaller, until the pale green dot that it had become disappeared entirely. He fell for what felt like hours, hearing only the 'whoosh!' of air flying past his ears. Harry started to become worried. What if he fell onto solid ground? He hadn't thought about exactly what he would be landing on. His worries were cut short, however, as he landed with a bounce onto a soft surface. Hearing a yell from above him, he rolled out of the way just as Ron and Hermione came plummeting down after him. They landed with dull thuds some distance away from him. Harry took out his wand and muttered 'lumos'. The room lit up with a soft, magical light as Harry looked around. He had landed on a gigantic pile of laundry. Bag upon bag stuffed with clothes had cushioned his fall. Nearly all of them had been opened, littering the enormous pile with stray robes and student's clothing.  
  
'Well, we didn't break anything,' Harry said, 'or anyone.' he added as an afterthought.  
  
Seeing Ron struggling, Hermione started towards him, 'Ron, are you alright?'  
  
'Yeah, but I think I landed in a pair of Crabbe's knockers,' he said disgustedly, pulling a pair of gigantic, and soiled, pair of underpants from his head. 'Bloody vile, that is.'  
  
Harry tried not to snigger as he hopped down from the pile of laundry. He pointed his wand towards the wall ahead, revealing a gigantic door with a sign that read, 'LAUNDRY. KEEP OUT, PREFECTS AND STAFF ONLY'. The door was about fifteen feet tall, with a huge metal bolt keeping it fastened shut.  
  
Hermione appeared at Harry's side as they both walked up to the door. Hermione pointed her wand upwards at the rusty lock, 'Alohamora' .  
  
The lock sprung open, making a loud grinding noise. Ron joined the two as they heaved the mighty door inwards, revealing the laundry room ahead.  
  
The room was quite taking, well taking for what one would usually expect of a laundry room. A giagantic pail of water, at least thirty feet high, sat in the middle of the room, bubbling almost to the brim with water and wet robes. The huge bucket was surrounded by a moat, where cleaned robes would surface from under the large pail to be grabbed by house elves who scampered along a circular platform surrounding the moat. Three large ramps raised up from the platform, leading right up to the brim of the tall bucket, where the nervous house elves tipped more robes in to be washed. As the three looked up, they saw a large, round metal beam with countless robes on hangers. The robes were dripping when first attached to the round beam by the house elves but after completing a full revolution of the room, undoubtedly aided by magic, they were blown dry by five large fans perched on the walls.  
  
Three house elves walked up to the friends and gave a trio of toothy, and rather ugly, grins. 'Ahh, we hasn't had visitors all day!' squeaked the first elf, bowing politely.  
  
'All day?' asked Harry, 'students usually wander down here?'  
  
'Ooo!' squealed one of the elves happily, 't'is Harry Potter! Dobby has telled us much about your goodness and greatness, sir!'  
  
'Please, don't call me sir. Harry is fine.' Harry said, embarassed.  
  
Several more house elves scampered up to the three in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Harry. 'Welcome, mister Potter!' they called out enthusiastically.  
  
'Did you say there were students down here earlier?' Hermione asked the second elf over the noise.  
  
'Yes, miss!' the elf replied jovially. 'A student and a stranger came helped us with the laundry!'  
  
'Helped you?' Ron asked him.  
  
'Yes, sirs and miss! They put a spell on the bucket to make the robes' extra clean!. But I thinks it didn't worked to well,' he added, giving a goofy grin.  
  
Some of the house elves giggled.  
  
'What did they do?' asked Hermione.  
  
'They's be puttin' a charm on the laundry, miss!' the third elf cried happily.  
  
Harry and Hermione looked at each other. The house elves led the three up the ramps and onto the ledge of the bucket. They peered over the tiny wall, and looked into the water. The water was a crystal blue, and was shooting off large blue bubbles into the air.  
  
'That's no ordinary water,' Hermione said as she looked at the surface. Harry turned to one of the elves. 'You said a student did this?' he asked the smiling elf. 'But, I thought only prefects were allowed in here.'  
  
'They was a prefect!' the elf told him happily. 


	4. Homebase

The small bassin's surface rippled gently, causing the little man's grey mouth to break into a horrid, fanged and evil grin. Inside the shallow bassin, five faces floated just near the bottom. Three of the faces belonged to Gryffindor students, one of the terrified visages was a Hufflepuff fourth year, and the last was a surly Slytherin girl.  
  
'Soon, Piddel. Soon, I will be returned.' Muo said, still smiling horribly.  
  
The satyr shuffled, obviously disturbed by the little man's behavior. He walked up to the hunched figure still staring into the bassin, and started to say something but recoiled after catching a glimse into the dreadful bowl. He cleared his throat, 'You don't have to do it this way.' he started fearfully. 'There are other ways of turning-'  
  
'Quiet now you fool!' shreaked the little man, hitting the large satyr with a spray of spit. 'You know not of what you speak, stupid animal!'  
  
The satyr's face darkened, but he remained calm. 'Transfiguration, it would work.  
  
They don't have to die...' he tried again.  
  
Muo pulled out his little wand. He held it up in the air as if that had proved his point. 'Did you not see me, Piddel?' he asked, his tone deceptively soft. 'I have my power.. I can read minds. Telepathy, Piddel. I am almost whole again.' he told the satyr, emphasizing every important word, to a point where it sounded to the satyr like insanity.  
  
'Yes, the Finnigan boy...but death isn't-'  
  
'Death is here, fool! Death is me!' the little man shrieked even louder this time, his eyes turning blood red.  
  
'Yes,' the satyr said, looking down, utterly defeated, 'master.'  
  
The red in the little man's eyes washed away. The appraisal seemed to calm him immensely. He turned back to the dish, gazing at it once more. 'Their stolen souls will serve me tonight.' Muo said, not looking up. 'These few, loving fools have been the easiest to capture, their hearts open so willingly.'  
  
The satyr shifted again.  
  
'Tonight, when the phenomenon peaks, I will be whole again.' the little man said, still loked to the bassin.  
  
Suddenly, his eyes widened with glee. He gave a small, high pitched laugh and turned to the satyr. 'Come, Piddel! It seems two more will have befallen us by the end of tonight. ..' he said maniacally.  
  
He replaced his wand and ran to the door. 'Come, servant!' he said darkly.  
  
Piddel moved towards the little man, catching a glance into the bassin. Two more unfocused heads had appeared in the shallow water, their faces obscured by a black fog. The tops of their heads glowed a flaming red. Blood? The satyr sincerely hoped the blood didn't represent more death but his spirit sunk as he followed the evil little man out of the room, stepping over a stray rat and becoming once again cloaked in invisibilty.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry sat in the infirmary with Ron and Hermione. They had been seated next to Seamus Finnigan's bed for more then twenty minutes, hoping to find a clue to what had happened to him. So far, they had only discovered that he was not petrified.  
  
Madam Pomfrey had told the three that Seamus was merely under a heavy sleep spell. Her and Professor Dumbledore had figured he had eaten a rigged sleeping candy unknowingly, and the spell had knocked him out entirely due to the magical unknowns floating in the air at this time. She had allowed the three friends a half an hour to visit the sleeping Finnigan, but their time had almost drawn to an end.  
  
Harry looked down at Seamus. 'I don't believe for one second that he ate a sleeping candy.' he said determinedly.  
  
'I agree, but what else do we have to believe? asked Hermione, a worried look on her face.  
  
'She's right, Harry.' Ron said simply.  
  
Madam Pomfrey came rushing in, shooing the three out of the infirmary. 'Come on now, you three have a ball to prepare for! No need to be bothering my patients!  
  
'Her patients happen to be petrified, I don't think we were giving them any bother.' Ron said sulkily when they were well out of earshot.  
  
'The ball!' moaned Hermione. 'Even if we get to go, I have nothing to wear, and my hair is a mess!' she said, tugging on her bushy brown locks.  
  
'If all of this keeps going, there won't be a ball to look bad at.' said Harry ominously.  
  
'Were we supposed to ask anyone to the ball? Ron asked, looking nervous.  
  
'I think so, but I doubt I'll be doing that.' replied Harry.  
  
'Well, you could always ask Ginny!'Ron told him laughing, for which he promtly recieved a sharp elbow to the ribs from Hermione. 'She'd be over the moon' he laughed loudly.  
  
Harry started to reply when Ron's face suddenely drained of colour. He turned on his heel and bolted down the long corridor, turning at the end.  
  
'What do you think that was about?' asked Hermione worriedly.  
  
'I don't know,' replied Harry, at a loss for an answer  
  
The two started down the Hallway. After some time, Hermione asked Harry casually.  
  
'So, who were you thinking of taking to the ball?'  
  
To be honest, Harry hadn't thought about it before the last few minutes. 'I wasn't thinking of asking anybody.' he replied.  
  
'Oh, I see.' said Hermione, sounding slightly disappointed.  
  
The two continued walking down the hall, trying to make idle chat despite the events of that day. They had almost reached the common room when Harry tripped over something as he turned a corner.  
  
'What the!?' he said as he hit the ground hard, losing his glasses.  
  
Harry heard Hermione gasp, and then burst into tears. Harry fumbled for his glasses and relpaced them.  
  
As the scene came into focus, Harry thought he was having a particularily bad nightmare. The thing, or things he had tripped over were lying on the gorund before him. Ron and Ginny lay sprawled out on the floor, their faces contorted into expressions of horror, silent and unmoving. Harry looked to Hermione, who had crumpled against the wall and was shaking with sobs.  
  
Harry walked slowly to her side and sat down next against the wall, cradling Hermione in his arms and still staring, trying to absorb the scene that lay before him. 


	5. A Pearly Clue

'Don't you see?' came a raspy voice, hidden deeply in the shadows thrown all across the pillared room.. 'I am death...'  
  
Piddel held his breath, weary, buying into the little man's terrifying performance.  
  
The little form moved into the patch of light. A pale, eerie glow hit his grey flesh, exposing what his face had become. His once smooth, standard skin had turned a hauntingly pale grey, accentuating his dripping, fanged mouth, and his burning, red eyes. His ears had grown into long, batlike extentions which twitched at the slightest noise, their hearing prowess increased ten-fold. The satyr's gaze kept returning to the little man's eyes. Those eyes, pulsing with pure hatred.  
  
Muo had drank from the small bassin, not actually devouring the souls trapped inside, but had drank enough to sample a sweet taste of the power to be delivered. His features had contorted, changing the once cantankerous, tiny thief into a vile, foul creature, seething with hatred.  
  
The two intruders had moved to a gazebo on the castle grounds when the little man had started to transform. Muo had writhed in pain, screaming and cursing. Fearing they would be caught, the satyr had taken the two outside, where they had waited for the last of the shapes to appear in the small bassin.  
  
'Soon the last two will be mine, my own...' Muo repeated, staring into the bassin.  
  
'Tell me where they are my, thief....my...my....precious' the little man finished darkly.  
  
The satyr shifted his body away from the dark little figure. Fearing what would come next.  
  
'Ahh yes....' Muo said, turning to the satyr. 'I belive it is time once again to extend your useless role.' he said with an terribly evil grin.  
  
The satyr sighed, withdrawing a set of panpipes from his belt pouch. The wooden, weather beaten, magical pipes were a tradition for people of his kind, carrying powerful charms. He placed the pipes to his lips and started to play a sorrel melody, the tune washing over the castle grounds.  
  
'Sleep, reside amidst the dewy chagrin, O! take but not a tittle out from thy'n own conscience Delphian, a lamb of legs!, O! meat of peace! then return ye to me, lest ye feel weary once more!.'  
  
Soon the castle would spell, the satyr thought to himself as he finished his song. He heard the wind whisper in response to his call, and felt guilty. No, he felt pity for the next poor souls who appeared in that terrible bassin.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione shook, still weeping over her fallen friends. Her and Harry had waited inside the hospital room, the time seeming bittersweet to them both. She had been cradled in Harry's arms as they both felt the pang of loss deeply. Even though Ron and Ginny had only been petrified, the two friends felt his body had been emptied. They sat, remorseful and answerless.  
  
It was Harry who spoke first.  
  
'Hermione, there's no point in staying here. We need to find out who did this,' he told her softly. 'and stop them.'  
  
She looked up at him, pale and teary eyed. 'You're right, Harry.' she said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
With one last look at the immobile Ron, Harry and Hermione left the room. They walked quickly down the hallway, talking hurriedly. After reaching the main floor, they came to the door of the Great Hall, where the Valse had begun.  
  
'Oh, I totally forgot about it.' Hermione said, sounding slightly disappointed.  
  
'Me too.' Harry replied. 'Well, we can at least see what it looks like.' he said.  
  
The two walked into the Great Hall looking around in amazement.  
  
The hall had been bedecked with luscious spring colours. Every inch of the walls had been draped with ribbons, bows, and flowers of pink, pale purple and soft green. The ceiling had been bewitched to take on a bluish-purple hue, dotted with great pink splashes. The ceiling appeared to be raining, but it was petals that fell gently to the floor, emitting a soft smell of strawberry. Students milled about, dancing and swaying in each others arms to the slow waltz played by an invisible band. The scene was almost impossible to leave, but Harry knew they had to leave. Hermione must have shared the thought, as she turned to leave at exactly the same time.  
  
Their heads knocked together, their lips nearly touching each others. Their eyes met, and they both turned away, blushing. 'Come on, we should get going.' Harry said, still rather red in the face.  
  
Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall, quite unwillingly headed for the dungeon, hoping the intruders would have left the tiniest shred of evidence in their wake. Since the Laundry Room was at the bottom of the dungeon, the two had figured that would be the best place to look.  
  
They crept down the stairs, aware that the stealthy measures were unnessecary, but keeping quiet all the same. After passing what must have been the thousandth mouldy step, Harry and Hermione arrived at the corridor leading to the Laundry Room.  
  
Turning the corner, Harry collided with something running hurriedly along the corner. At first, Harry saw nothing, but a squeak from below him drew his gaze downwards.  
  
'Professor Flitwick!' said Harry suprisedly, bending down to pick up the small Charms teacher.  
  
Reajusting his hat, Flitwick looked up. 'Oh! Young Mister Potter! And Miss Granger!' he added, seeing Hermione. 'What are you two doing down here this night? Shouldn't you be up making merry? '  
  
'Umm, we were, Professor, but you see...'Harry started, stammering.  
  
'Harry and I went to the Valse together.' Hermione said, promtly grabbing Harry's arm. 'I needed to use the toilet so we came down here, that's all.'  
  
'I see, I see!' Flitwick said, still looking mildly curious. 'But why didn't you use the toilet upstairs?' he asked cheerily.  
  
'Oh, because it's absolutely terrible going about your buisness with Moaning Myrtle there!' Hermione said, with an empathetic expression on her face.  
  
'Oh, quite right you are!' Flitwick said bouncily. 'Well, do try and hurry, we'll be missing you at the dance!' he said as he scampered up the stairs.  
  
'What do you think he was doing down here?' asked Harry, still holding Hermione's hand.  
  
'I don't know,' she replied, still clutching Harry's.  
  
The two started back down the hallway, then realizing their hands remained locked, quickly withdrew them.  
  
'Sorry.' Harry mumbled, looking down.  
  
'It's alright.' Hermione said, equally embarassed.  
  
The two walked in silence until they reached a doorway. This doorway was quite normal, despite the fact that it was splattered with a pearl coloured liquid. The liquid covered the floor under the doorframe, and most of the floor inside the room as well.  
  
Walking up to the doorway, Hermione bent down for a closer look. Harry stood silent. He had seen the liquid before, but where? He had been so distracted by himself and Hermione that his memory had been pushed back somehow, crammed at the back of his head. If only he could take his thoughts out...  
  
'That's it!' cried Harry aloud.  
  
'That's what?' asked Hermione, not understanding.  
  
'The liquid, I know where I've seen it before!' Harry told her, looking at the pearly grey gloss that splattered he floor. 'Dumbledore's office. When I was taken in for a talk with Dumbledore about the Goblet of Fire, he had a bowl there. A Penseive he called it. I touched it and got sucked inside.'  
  
'Harry! You know you should never touch anything magical if you don't know what it does!' Hermione scolded.  
  
'The liquid, it looks like the liquid from the Pensieve.' he repeated, ignoring her.  
  
'Wait, Pensieve....I've heard that word before.' Hermione muttered, thinking hard.  
  
'Think Bowl, right?' she asked him.  
  
'Exactly.' Harry said, marvelling a how much studying Hermione had actually done in her four years at Hogwarts.  
  
'Pensieve.' she repeated. 'If this is anything like the liquid found in a Pensieve, then it needs...' Hermione said, thinking deeply.  
  
'Moonlight!' she said, snapping her fingers.  
  
'Harry, I know where the intruders might be!' she cried, taking him by the hand once more and dashing up the stairs. 


	6. The Gazebo

Harry and Hermione ran hurriedly out the front entrance and onto the castle grounds. When they had reached Hagrid's hut, Harry pulled Hermione to a stop, 'Wait... where... are... we... going?' he asked breathlessly.  
  
'Harry, you said that the goop on the dungeon floor looked like the liquid from a Penseive, right?' she asked him with a knowing expression on her face.  
  
'Yes...' he answered. '..but what does that have to do with us running outside?'  
  
'Listen, Penseive liquid needs moonlight to take on that glossy colour. I read it in the book about my Time Turner.' she told him hastily. 'So, that means whoever is using this thing needs to be out here in the moonlight.'  
  
'I see...' said Harry, marvelling at her speed of mind.  
  
Hermione led Harry out around the edge of the lake, nearing a cast off grove on the outside of the Forbidden Forest. As they hurried along the castle grounds, Harry noticed the normally green grass had been scattered with rose petals. When he looked around, he saw that all of the trees had sprouted luscious, pink rose petals. Even Hagrid's tiny hut had grown a few roses, which sat fluttering on his walls.  
  
As the two ran over the grounds Harry caught sight of a few wilted, and blackened flowers strewn about the ground. The closer to the grove they ran, the more the dead petals appeared, contrasting darkly with their pink counterparts. The trees around them started to appear dead, and the clouds broke casting an eerie glow on the two.  
  
They stopped, standing in the cold night air with puffs of steam coming forth from their mouthes. 'It's freezing out here.' Hermione said, shivering.  
  
'Here, take this.' Harry said as he wrapped her in his robes.  
  
'Thanks...' Hermione said shyly, staring down at the dead leaves which littered the ground.  
  
The two walked closer to the grove where, Harry knew, a small gazebo stood hidden. Harry doubted he would meet any shouldering students, as the gazebo was often used by couples to snog in the late hours of the night, but he had a feeling they would not be the only ones here.  
  
The small opening to the grove appeared, the trees framing the harrowed entrance hung, blackened and decaying. The long tree branches had spread like horrid tendrils, wrapping the small gazebo in a thick shell. A narrow path had been created between the tangled mass of branches, like a doomed hallway leading to the ruined steps.  
  
Harry could see a faint glow emenating from the inside of the gazebo, dully shining out between the surrounding pillars. Harry crept closer.  
  
'Harry, be careful.' Hermione whispered, withdrawing her wand.  
  
The two moved closer to the entrance, trying to move as silently as possible. As they reached the openeing, they saw a small bassin, shimmering silver in the moonlight. The bowl sat atop a throne of branches, which had broken through the floor boards of the gazebo and cupped the bassin like a deathly hand. Behind the bassin stood an incredibly tiny man, with his hooded back towards the two. A low wheezing sound escaped the small figure, as if he struggled to draw every breath.  
  
Harry and Hermione stood, staring at the tiny figure in the middle of the room when their gaze was taken away by the sight of a hulking form standing in the shadows of the back wall. The massive figure, at least seven feet tall, stood against the dead branches, silent and unmoving.  
  
'Aha, visitors.' said the little man, laughing wheezily.  
  
He turned slowly, drawing a slender wand from his robes. 'I can't have students spying on my every activity,' he said darkly. 'You understand.'  
  
Harry started to move backwards when the little man pointed his wand and muttered 'Imperio'.  
  
Instantly Harry and Hermione felt their bodies stiffen as Muo's spell tore into their minds. Hermione screamed and dropped to the ground, trying desperately to fight off the evil curse. Harry stood unmoving, hearing a small voice in his head, 'Drop, boy!'  
  
'But why?' asked a second voice inside Harry's head.  
  
'Do as I say! Drop!' the voice commanded, growing weaker.  
  
'I don't think I will, thanks.' the other voice said, stronger.  
  
Harry's body did an awkward lurch as the voices in his head faded out entirely, leaving him lightheaded and his vision blurry. Harry looked up to see the little man coming into focus, lifting his wand in Harry's direction. Harry did a barrel roll, narrowly avoiding a white jet of spraks which shot from the little man's wand, scorching the boards where Harry had been.  
  
Harry stood up and drew his wand. He pointed it as treateningly at Muo's head. A horrid, fanged grin broke over the little man's face as he waved his wand. 'Now, young lad, I would think twice about something like this.' he said with a mocking tone.  
  
Harry stood with his wand outstretched. To be honest, he hadn't though about what he was going to do to the little man. The little man's power was clearly much greater than his, and he didn't have a clue what he could use against him.  
  
'Aha, you have come unprepared, I see.' Muo said with an evil grin. 'Foolish boy.'  
  
He lashed his wand around and screeched something at the exact same time as Harry pointed his wand and bellowed 'Expelliarmus!'  
  
The two beams collided, bursting in a spray of sparks. Muo's beam overpowered Harry's easily, smacking Harry head on. Harry fell back as wave after painful wave barrelled through his psyche, shooting inside his head and burning more than Harry's had thought possible. Harry felt like his very mind was going to explode.  
  
Harry fell back, screaming. Muo stopped the assault, chuckling nastily. 'Now, young fool, you will die.'  
  
Muo raised his wand once more, his eyes turning the colour of red hot metal. He pointed it directly at Harry's forehead and muttered, 'Goodbye, foolish boy.' 


End file.
